Shim device

ABSTRACT

Composites, products made from composites and method of producing same are provided. The present invention includes an injection moldable product made from a composite material at least composed of balanced mixture of thermoplastics and fibrous components. The injection moldable product is formed into a body that has a wedge-shape, a shim-shape or the like wherein the body includes one or more cored regions extending though at least a portion thereof.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of, and claims priority to and thebenefit of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/332,364 filed on Feb.13, 2009, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/219,395 filed on Aug. 14, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,716,880, whichclaims priority to and the benefit of, U.S. Patent Application Ser. No.60/312,142 filed on Aug. 14, 2001, and the entire contents of suchapplications are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention generally relates to composites and products madefrom composites. More specifically, the present invention relates tocomposite products with a tapered body, such as shims, wedges and/or thelike, and methods of producing same.

In general, composites and products made from composites are known andused in the market place. For example, composite products have beenknown and used as substitutes for products made from wood. In thisregard, wood composite products have been used, for example, as asubstitute for outdoor decking material made from wood.

As a wood substitute, composite products may exhibit similar, if notbetter, consistency of properties, such as compression strength, waterresistance, pest resistance, rot resistance and/or the like, as comparedto wood. In this regard, composites are generally made from acombination of plastics and a wood material, such as wood flour derivedfrom a variety of different wood sources. Depending on the particularuse, the composites are typically formed into an extruded product ofvarying sizes and shapes.

Within the manufactured home industry, for example, there exists a needfor low cost and consistent performance in shims, wedges and/or thelike. Wood shims and/or wood wedges typically vary with respect toproperties and dimensions resulting in increased labor costs during use.In general, shims are utilized to position and level doors, windows,cabinets, framing and the like prior to being secured in place. Ingeneral, wedges are used to set and/or level heavy weight bearingobjects, such as manufactured homes. Pre-made shims or setting wedgescan facilitate operation due to the fact that extra time and effort doesnot have to be expended, for example, in sorting through a randomassortment of commercially available wood shims for one with thenecessary dimensions and quality.

However, wood shims, pre-made or otherwise, can split when a nail ornails are driven through a door jamb, for example, and subsequently intothe shim to secure the door. This may result in having to replace thesplit shim and thus ultimately having to re-position the jamb. Further,once the shim has been secured in place, a portion of it generally needsto be removed such that it remains flush with, for example, the doorjamb. In this regard, wood shims may not break cleanly or evenly when aportion is removed and thus can leave a jagged edge which may needadditional cutting. Wood wedges can be problematic as well due to thefact that they are susceptible to slippage and/or compression over timeunder weight bearing use. This can cause shifting of the weight bearingobjects, such as shifting of manufactured homes, set on the wood wedges.

A need, therefore, exists to provide composite products, such as shimsand/or wedges, that can be readily manufactured and that have improvedqualities, such as durability with resistance to split, splinter, swell,warp and twist, as compared to, for example, wood-made products.

SUMMARY

The present invention generally relates to composites, products madefrom composites and methods of making same. The present inventionincludes composites that are at least made from a mixture ofthermoplastics and a fibrous component. The composite can be formed intoa variety of different molded products, particularly molded buildingmaterials, such as composite shims, composite wedges and/or the like.The composite products of the present invention have improvedproperties, for example, as compared to shims or wedges made from wood,such as resistance to splitting, rot, insects, greater compressionstrength and durability and/or the like. In this regard, the compositeproducts of the present invention can be a desirable substitute forwood-made products in a variety of different applications, such asapplications relating to the manufactured home industry.

To this end, in an embodiment of the present invention, an injectionmoldable product is provided. The injection moldable product includes atapered body with one or more cored regions extending through at least aportion of the body wherein the body is composed of a composite materialincluding a fibrous component, a thermoplastic component and a couplingagent.

In an embodiment, the thermoplastic component includes a polypropylene,polyethylene, polyesters, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyvinylchloride,poly (methyl methacrylate), nylon, copolymers thereof, the like andcombinations thereof.

In an embodiment, the fibrous component includes synthetic fiber, suchas carbon fiber and/or the like, cellulosic material, natural fiber(s),wood flour, birch wood flour, spruce wood flour, pine wood flour, firwood flour, maple wood flour, rice hull, peanut shells, recyclable woodwaste, recyclable paper, flax sheeve, the like and mixtures thereof.

In an embodiment, the coupling agent includes a copolymer of maleic acidand polypropylene, a copolymer of maleic acid and polyethylene, maleicacid, polyethylene, the like and mixtures thereof.

In an embodiment, the coupling agent ranges from about 3% or less byweight of the shim.

In an embodiment, the composite material includes an additionalcomponent that includes a pigment, a scent agent, an ultraviolet lightstabilizing agent, a filler, a natural filler including talc and calciumcarbonate, a heat stabilizer, an antioxidant, a foaming agent, afungicide, the like and combinations thereof.

In an embodiment, the thermoplastic component comprises about 30% toabout 70% by weight of the injection moldable product and the fibrouscomponent comprises about 30% to about 70% of the injection moldableproduct.

In another embodiment, a composite shim is provided. The composite shimincludes a base material including a fibrous component and athermoplastic component wherein the base material is formed into ashim-shaped body that has one or more cored regions extending into aportion of the shim-shaped body.

In yet another embodiment, an injection moldable wedge is provided. Theinjection moldable wedge includes a wedge-shaped body composed of acomposite base material including a fibrous component and athermoplastic component wherein the wedge-shaped body has one or morecored regions extending through a portion of the wedge-shaped body.

In still yet another embodiment, a method of producing an injectionmoldable product is provided. The method includes the steps of mixing athermoplastic component and a fibrous component; forming a compositebase material at least including the thermoplastic component and thefibrous component; and molding the base material to form a tapered bodywherein the body includes one or more cored regions extending through atleast a portion thereof.

It is, therefore, an advantage of the present invention to provideimproved composite material formulations, composite products, andmethods of producing same.

Another advantage of the present invention is to provide improvedcomposite products, such as shims, wedges and/or the like, that can bereadily manufactured at reduced costs from a composite materialincluding, for example, recyclable material, such as wood waste and/orthe like.

Still another advantage of the present invention is to provide improvedcomposite products that promote the sound recovery of wood waste and/orthe like at the production level, thus encouraging recyclable use ofsuch materials.

A further advantage of the present invention is to provide improvedcomposite products that can be readily formed into an injection moldableproduct having desirable properties, such as durability, strength,resistance to splitting, water, insects, rot and the like.

A still further advantage of the present invention is to provideimproved composite products that can be a desirable substitute forwood-made products, such as shims, wedges and/or the like.

Yet a still further advantage of the present invention is to provide animproved composite product that can be utilized in a variety ofdifferent applications including the building materials industry, suchas the manufactured home industry.

Additional features and advantages of the present invention aredescribed in, and will be apparent from, the following DetailedDescription of the Invention and the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a composite shim according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate another embodiment of the composite shim of thepresent invention. FIG. 2A illustrates a top view. FIG. 2B illustrates aside view taken along a length of the composite shim of FIG. 2A. FIG. 2Cillustrates a side view sectional of the composite shim of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the composite shim of thepresent invention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a composite wedge according to an embodimentof the present invention. FIG. 4A illustrates a perspective view. FIG.4B illustrates a top view.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a stack mold used during processing of thecomposite shim according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.5A illustrates a perspective view of the stack mold. FIG. 5B illustratesa sectional view of the stack mold.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides composites, products made fromcomposites, such as composite shims, composite wedges and/or the like,and methods of producing same.

The composite product of the present invention includes a compositematerial that is at least composed of a thermoplastic component and afibrous component. In an embodiment, the composite product is aninjection moldable product that includes a body tapered to an edge,e.g., a tapered body, wherein the body includes one or more coredregions extending through at least a portion of the composite product.The tapered body can be molded into a variety of suitable shapes andsizes, such as a shim, a wedge and/or the like.

As used herein, the term “composite” or other like terms means amaterial that is composed of a mixture of two or more differentcomponents that when mixed together impart properties of the materialcomponents, such as the thermoplastic component and the fibrouscomponent of the composite product according to an embodiment of thepresent invention. In this regard, the thermoplastic component, on itsown, would result in a product that is, for example, rot resistant andrubbery, and, on its own, the fibrous component, particularly awood-derived fibrous component, would result in a product, for example,that is stiff, that contains moisture and that is susceptible to rot.But, when combined, the fibrous component and the thermoplasticcomponent result in a composite product that exhibits properties derivedfrom both the fibrous component and the thermoplastic component therebymaking the resultant composite product a desirable substitute for awood-made product.

As used herein, the terms “shim” and “wedge” or other like termsdescribe two different types of composite products according to anembodiment of the present invention. In general, the term “shim” orother like terms means a product that is typically constructed and sizedfor the purpose of positioning and leveling doors, windows and the likeprior to securing same in place for use. In general, the term “wedge” orother like terms means a product that is typically constructed and sizedfor the purpose of setting a weight-bearing object or objects, such as amanufactured home.

Applicants have discovered that a balanced blend of composite materials,such as a blend of thermoplastics and fibrous materials, can beeffectively utilized to make a composite product with a tapered body fora variety of different applications. Applicants have found that the wellbalanced blend of composite materials in combination with specificstructural features of the finished molded product can result in thecomposite product with a tapered body that has improved characteristics,such as durability, compression strength, resistance to moisture,insects, splitting, rot and the like, as compared to, for example, shimsand/or wedges made from wood.

In this regard, the composite product of the present invention canprovide a number of technological and economic advantages overtraditional wood wedges and/or wood shims. Further, the compositeproducts of the present invention can be made from recyclable compositematerials, such as thermoplastics and natural and/or synthetic fibersincluding recyclable wood waste.

The composite product of the present invention can be made from avariety of different and suitable materials. In general, the compositeproduct includes a balanced blend of thermoplastics and fibrousmaterials. In an embodiment, the composite blend also includes acoupling or binder agent to facilitate the binding of the thermoplasticand fiber components.

The thermoplastic component can include any suitable material. In thisregard, it is preferred that the thermoplastic material be essentiallycomposed of a thermoplastic that is more “tough” than “rigid” such thatit does not break. In an embodiment, the thermoplastic componentincludes polypropylene, polyethlyene, polyesters, polystyrene,polycarbonate, polyvinylchloride, poly (methyl methacrylate), nylon,like materials and mixtures thereof. It should be appreciated that thepresent invention is not limited to a monomeric plastic and thus caninclude any suitable type of polymeric plastic, including polymerscomposed of at least two different monomeric components, such aspolyethlyene, polyesters, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyvinylchloride,poly (methyl methacrylate) or other like materials.

The fibrous components of the present invention can include any variety,number and mixture of suitable materials. For example, the fibercomponent can include synthetic fibers, natural fibers, cellulosicmaterials or combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the fibrouscomponent includes synthetic fibers, such as carbon fibers, cellulosicmaterials, natural fibers, wood flour, birch wood flour, maple woodflour, spruce wood flour, pine wood flour, fir wood flour, rice hulls,peanut shells, recyclable wood waste, recyclable paper, flax sheeve,mixtures thereof and the like.

In this regard, the use of wood waste and/or other like fibrouscomponents can promote recyclable use of such fibrous components. Thiscan promote, for example, sound recovery of wood waste and/or the likeat the production level, thus encouraging recycling of same.

The composite product of the present invention can include a variety ofother materials in combination with the thermoplastic and fibercomponents. In an embodiment, the additional materials include couplingagents, binders, pigment, scent agents including cedar scent or otherwood-like scent, ultraviolet light stabilizing agents, heat stabilizers,antioxidants, fillers, natural fillers including calcium carbonate, talcand/or the like, foaming agents, fungicides, other like components andcombinations thereof.

As previously discussed, the coupling agent can be added to the balancedmixture of thermoplastics and fibrous material(s) to facilitate thebinding of such materials. In an embodiment, the coupling agent includesa copolymer or grafted copolymer of maleic acid and polypropylene, acopolymer or grafted copolymer of maleic acid and polyethylene, maleicacid, polyethylene, other suitable materials and combinations thereof.The copolymer of maleic acid and polyethylene is preferably used withthe thermoplastic component that includes polyethylene.

The various components, such as thermoplastics and fibers, of thecomposite product can be added in any suitable amount such that thebalanced blend of composite materials can be effectively utilized tomake a composite product with a tapered body and/or other suitablestructural features. In an embodiment, the thermoplastic componentranges from about 30% to about 70% by weight of the composite product,the fiber components ranges from about 30% to about 70% by weight of thecomposite product and the coupling agent ranges from about 0% to about3% by weight of the composite product.

Preferably, the fiber component includes a wood flour, such as birchwood flour, maple wood flour, spruce wood flour, pine wood flour, firwood flour, the like or combinations thereof at about 40% by weight ofthe composite product, the thermoplastic component includes about 59% byweight of the composite product, and the coupling agent includes about1% by weight of the composite product. The wood flour can include anysuitable size. In an embodiment, the wood flour includes about 20 toabout 60 mesh consistency, preferably about 40 mesh consistency.

In an embodiment, the composite product of the present inventionincludes the fiber component in an amount of about 40% by weight of thecomposite product with the remaining amounts of the composite productincluding the thermoplastic component and optionally the coupling agentand other additional ingredients in any suitable amount. It should beappreciated that the amount of the various components of the presentinvention can be added in any suitable amount to the extent that thedesirable properties of the composite product are not compromised, suchas strength, durability, resistance to splitting, rotting and/or thelike.

The composite product of the present invention can be formed into avariety of different shapes and sizes suitable for use in a variety ofdifferent applications, including residential, commercial or industrialuse, such as building material for use, for example, in the manufacturedhome industry. In an embodiment, a composite shim is provided. Thecomposite shim 10 includes a shim-shaped body 12 as illustrated inFIG. 1. In general, the shim-shaped body 12 is defined by five surfaceor face regions which connect or meet to form the shim-shaped body 12.The face regions 14 and 16 are distanced apart at an end region 18 andextend therefrom to meet at an edge 20 of the composite shim 10, thusforming the shim-shape. The other face regions 22 and 24 define theremaining portions of the shim-shape.

In an embodiment, the shim-shaped body 12 includes one or more or coredregions 26 extending into a portion of the body 12 and along at least aportion of the face region 14 of the shim-shaped body 12. As previouslydiscussed, Applicants have uniquely discovered that the combination of abalanced blend of composite materials and the specific structuralfeatures of the finished molded product can provide a composite shimthat has improved characteristics, such as strength, durability,resistance to splitting, the ability to break cleanly and evenly and thelike, as compared to, for example, traditional wood shims. In thisregard, the composite shim of the present invention can be desirablyutilized as a substitute for wood shims.

The cored regions 26 of the composite shim 10 can include a variety ofdifferent suitable sizes, shapes and numbers and can be positioned inany suitable way with respect to the shim-shaped body 12 of thecomposite shim 10. Applicants have discovered that the addition of thecored regions 26 can provide a number of different beneficial effectswith respect to the use and processing of the composite shim 10.

For example, Applicants have found that the composite shim 10 of thepresent invention is effectively resistant to splitting when a nail(s)is driven through it as compared to conventional wood shims. In thisregard, Applicants believe that the cored regions 26 can act toreinforce the composite shim by providing an access region through whicha nail can be easily driven. This can minimize, or effectivelyeliminate, the amount of force exerted by the nail to the remainingportion of the composite shim, and thus, the cored regions effectivelyhalt the propagation of splitting caused by nailing. Further, the coredregions can reduce the cycle time for molding by increasing the coolingsurface area, thereby causing the shim-shaped body to cool at a fasterrate during injection molding.

In an embodiment, the cored regions 26 are positioned along the faceregion 14 of the composite shim 10 in one or more rows 28 wherein a row28 includes a number of cored regions 26, such as three cored regions toa row as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2A. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A, row29 nearest the end region 18 includes two cored regions 26 according toan embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment, the coredregions in a row or rows are spaced at an essentially equal distant fromeach other across the row and/or along the length of the shim. Inaddition, the rows are spaced at an essentially equal distant from oneanother along the face region 14 of the shim 10 as illustrated in FIGS.1 and 2A. This allows the composite shim to be made at a reducedmoisture content due to the fibrous component. If the moisture contentis too high, the composite shim can expand during processing. In thisregard, the cored regions allow the composite shim to be made at areduced moisture content and at a reduced weight while not compromisingthe structural integrity of the composite shim.

The cored regions 26 can include a variety of different and suitableshapes and sizes. In an embodiment, the cored regions 26 include acylindrical shape as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A. In an embodiment, thecylindrical cored regions extend into a portion of the tapered body ofthe shim. However, the cored regions can be shaped in any suitablemanner, such as a diamond-shape, square-shape, triangular-shape and/orother suitable geometric-shape.

It should be appreciated that the composite shim of the presentinvention can be molded with precision and accuracy into a variety ofdifferent and suitable shapes, sizes and configurations. An embodimentis illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2C. In general, the composite shim 30 has ashim-shaped configuration as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The length a,width b and thickness c of the composite shim is approximately 8.0inches, 1.5 inches and 0.280 inches, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 2Aand 2B. The thickness d at an end 32 of the composite shim 30 isapproximately 0.035 inches. In an alternative embodiment, the compositeshim can include a length, width and thickness of approximately 12inches, 1.5 inches and 5/16 inches, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the composite shim 30 includes a number of coredregions 34 which are spaced apart from one another at a distance e alongthe width and a distance f along the length of approximately 0.456inches. The cored regions 34 are cylindrical in shape and have adiameter g of approximately 0.32 inches as shown in FIG. 2C. The coredregions 34 extend through a portion of the composite shim 30 to adistance h of approximately 0.06 inches from a base 36 of the compositeshim 30 as further shown in FIG. 2C. In an embodiment, the cored regionhas a substantially cylindrical shape that is tapered about an angle α,such as an angle of about 8° as shown in FIG. 2C.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the composite shim 30 includes eleven rows of coredregions 34. The first row 38 includes two cored regions spaced from anend region 40 of the composite shim 30 at a distance i of approximately0.08 inches. The end region 40 includes a groove 42 positioned betweenthe two cored regions of the first row 38. The composite shim 30includes additional rows of cored regions wherein each row 44 includesthree cored regions as further illustrated in FIG. 2A.

As previously discussed, the composite products of the present inventioncan be formed into a number of different shapes and sizes. As shown inFIG. 3, the composite shim 46 is similar in shape to the composite shimas shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A-2C. However, the composite shim 46 includesan additional cored region 48 positioned along a row 50 nearest an end52 of the composite shim.

In an embodiment, the present invention includes a wedge-shapedcomposite product as shown in FIGS. 4A-4B. The wedge composite 54 isgenerally defined by five surface or face regions which meet to form thewedge-shaped body 56. The face regions 58 and 60 are distanced apart atan end region 62 which provides the thickest portion of the compositewedge. The face regions 58 and 60 extend from the end region 62 to meetat an edge 64 opposite the end region 62 thereby forming the taperedwedge-shaped body. The other face regions 66 and 68 define the remainingportions of the wedge composite. FIG. 4B illustrates a top view of thecomposite wedge 54 of FIG. 4A.

In an embodiment, the wedge-shaped body 56 includes one or more coredregions 72 extending through a portion of the wedge-shaped body. Thecored regions 72 can include a variety of suitable and different shapesand combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the wedge-shaped body 56includes three rows of a pair of cored regions 72. As shown in FIGS. 4Aand 4B, the cored regions 72 have a similar oblong shape. In anembodiment, the cored regions 74 nearest the end region 62 are smallerin size than the remaining other cored regions 72. In an embodiment, thecored regions can be positioned along the wedge-shaped body up to aboutthree quarters of a length of the wedge-shaped body on one side or ontwo opposite facing sides. The cored regions can act to reduce theweight of the wedge composite while not compromising the structuralintegrity of the wedge composite. In this regard, the wedge composite ofthe present invention has the ability to withstand up to about 20,000pound load effectively without slippage and/or compression. The coredregions can also facilitate processing of the composite product aspreviously discussed.

In an embodiment, the wedge composite includes one or more ripples 76extending across at least a portion of one or both of the face regions58 and 60 as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. The ripples have a suitablethickness and are spaced apart at an effective distance from one anotherto provide a rippled surface such that creeping can be prevented, or atleast minimized, when the composite wedge is subject to a weight bearingload. It should be appreciated that the rippled surface can beconfigured in any suitable way.

The wedge composite of the present invention can include a variety ofsuitable dimensions depending on the application. In an embodiment, thewedge-shaped composite includes a thickness of about 13/8 inches at theend region 62, a length of about 10 inches, a width of about 31/4 inchesand a weight that is comparable to a wood-made wedge. These dimensionsmake the wedge composite of the present invention particularly suitedfor setting heavy weight bearing objects, such as manufactured homes.

The composite shim of the present invention can be made in a variety ofdifferent and suitable ways. In general, a composite material can beinitially formed via a conventional extrusion process under suitabletemperatures, pressures and other like process conditions. In thisregard, the components of the composite shims are suitably mixed andextruded to form a pellet-sized material or other like-sized or shapedmaterial.

The pre-formed composite material can then be molded to form thecomposite shim in a variety of different and suitable ways. In anembodiment, the composite material is processed through an injectionmolding process using temperatures, pressures and setting times in themolding art effective to produce the composite shim. The injectionmolding process can be carried out in any suitable way. In anembodiment, the injection molding temperature ranges from about340.degree. F. to about 410.degree. F., preferably from about390.degree. F. to about 400.degree. F., such that the fiber component ofthe composite material does not char during the process. In anembodiment, the operating pressure during injection molding ranges fromabout 1000 pounds (lbs) of pressure to about 1300 lbs of pressure,preferably about 1100 lbs. of pressure.

It should be appreciated that the injection molding process can includea variety of different and suitable equipment components and processparameters effective to produce the composite products of the presentinvention. For example, the present invention can include a variety ofgates and runners sized and positioned in the mold so as to effectivelyproduce the molded composite product(s) of the present invention.

In an embodiment, the composite shim of the present invention can bemade with a mold 80 as illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B. The mold 80includes a mold base 82 and a cavity base 84 with a number of cavities86 provided in the mold base 82. In an embodiment, the mold 80 includesthirty-two cavities wherein the composite shim can be made in a stackedarrangement. In this regard, sixteen cavities are provided on oppositesides of the mold base 82. FIG. 5A illustrates sixteen cavities of oneside of the mold base 82. In an embodiment, the cavities 86 on theopposite side (not shown) are essentially the same in shape and size asthe cavities 86 shown in FIG. 5A.

Each cavity 86 includes a number of protrusions 88 extending along atleast a portion of the cavity 86. As shown in FIG. 5A, a number of theprotrusions 88 are arranged in a number of rows with three protrusionsin each row. The protrusions 88 are used to form the cored regions ofthe composite shim as discussed above.

During injection molding, the composite melt is injected into the cavitybase 84 through an injection hole 90 as shown in FIG. 5A. The compositemelt can then flow into each of the cavities 86 via a network of runners92 positioned along the cavity base. Before flowing directly into thecavities 86, the composite flows through a gate 94 positioned at an endportion 96 of the cavities 86. This end 96 corresponds to the end regionof the composite shim at a maximum thickness of the composite shim asdiscussed above. In an embodiment, the gate 94 includes two holes 98located at a substantially equidistant position relative to a centerportion of the gate 94 as illustrated in FIG. 5B. The number,positioning, sizing and construction of the gate allows the compositemelt to flow more easily through the channels 99 of the cavity 86 inboth lengthwise and width-wise fashion thereby facilitating theinjection molding process. In an embodiment, the holes 98 have adiameter of about 0.080 inches. In an embodiment, thirty-two compositeshims can be degated from the stack mold approximately every twenty-nineseconds during processing.

In an embodiment, the cavities 86 include a draft (not shown) on theside regions 100. This allows the side regions 100 to be angled suchthat the composite shim can be more easily removed from the cavity 86during processing.

By way of example and not limitation, the present invention is describedbelow in the following examples.

Example I

An experimental test was conducted to evaluate the creep properties of acomposite shim made in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. The test was also conducted on wood-made shims forcomparison. In general, a number of each type of test shim were placedin a stacked arrangement and subject to a specific load. The change instack height was measured initially and after one hour. The types ofshims used in the experiment included composite shims made with a 70%thermoplastic component (70%) and 60% thermoplastic component (60%) inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention and shims madefrom jute, cedar and pine. As indicated below in Table I, the compositeshims displayed better creeping properties when subject to the loadinitially and over time as compared to the wood-made shims.

TABLE I Specimen Change in Stack Height @ Change in Stack After One IDInitial Load to 200 pounds (%) Hour with 200 pounds (%) 70% 1.3 0.3 60%1.3 0.7 Jute 2.7 0.7 Cedar 0.4 2.9 Pine 1.6 0.5

Example II

An experimental test was conducted to evaluate the split resistanceproperties of a composite shim made in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention. The test was also conducted on wood-made shimsfor comparison. The tested shims included composite shims made from 60%thermoplastic (60%), 60% thermoplastic at reduced weight (60%-reducedweight) and 70% thermoplastic (70%) in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention and shims made from jute, pine and cedar.

Two-inch nails were driven through a 1 inch cedar board cover thenthrough two shims into a 2.times.4 stud backing while the shims were at20.degree. F. Prior to nailing, the cover, shims and backing were placedin a 20.degree. F. cooling chamber for 1 hour. Brads were nailed 1 inch,1.5 inch and 4 inches from the end of the shim stack. Nailing wasaccomplished with a pneumatic nail gun using 2 inch brads @ 50 psi airpressure. The 70%, 60%, 60%-reduced weight, jute and pine shimsexhibited no splitting between nails. The cedar shims had splittingbetween the end of the shim stack and the 1-inch nail and between the1.0 inch and 1.5 inch placed nails.

Example III

This test evaluated how much energy was required to snap a shim. All theshims were broken at the same thickness of 0.23 inches. The same type ofshims were tested as tested in Example II, except that a shim made fromjute was not tested. A pendulum impact machine was used to perform thetest. A shim was clamped in a suitable fashion into the apparatusexposing 1.10 inch of unsupported shim. At the bottom of the pendulumswing the shim was snapped off and the energy used was recorded. Thecomposite shims were molded smooth on one face and with cored regions onthe other face in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. These specimens were impacted both against the smooth faceand against the face with the holes. For comparison purposes, the impacttests were also performed on cedar and pine shims. As can be seen belowin Table III, the composite shims made in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention are easier to snap than are the natural woodproducts. Also, it was consistently easier to snap a composite shim fromthe hole side than from the smooth side.

TABLE III Average Breaking Specimen ID Energy (ft-lb) 60% with Holes onImpact Side 0.78 60% with Holes away from Impact 1.35 70% with Holes onImpact Side 0.85 70% with Holes away from Impact 1.38 Jute with Holes onImpact Side 0.73 Jute with Holes away from Impact 1.35 60%-ReducedWeight with Holes on Impact Side 0.53 60%-Reduced Weight with Holes awayfrom Impact 0.72 Side Cedar 3.07 Pine 2.57

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to thepresently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention andwithout diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intendedthat such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.

Although the present invention has been described with reference topreferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges can be made in form and detail without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A composite shim comprising: a shim-shaped bodyhaving a length, a width and a depth, the depth gradually increasingfrom a first end of the body to a second end of the body, the bodyfurther including a plurality of discrete cavities, each cavity defininga width and a depth, wherein the plurality of discrete cavitiescollectively define a width that is approximately 64% of the width ofthe body.
 2. The composite shim of claim 1 wherein the body includes afiber-reinforced base material, the fiber-reinforced base materialincluding a fibrous component and a thermoplastic component.
 3. The shimof claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete cavities are positionedalong the shim up to about two thirds of a length of the body.
 4. Theshim of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete cavities arestructured and positioned so as to enable the composite shim to besecured while minimizing an amount of force exerted to the shim, therebyhalting propagation of splitting caused by securing the composite shimthrough piercing at least one of the discrete cavities of the shim. 5.The composite shim of claim 1, wherein the body includes a thermoplasticcomponent that is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene,polyesters, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyvinylchloride, poly (methylmethacrylate), nylon, copolymers thereof and mixtures thereof.
 6. Thecomposite shim of claim 1, wherein the body includes a fibrous componentthat is selected from the group consisting of synthetic fiber, carbonfiber, a cellulosic material, natural fiber, wood flour, birch woodflour, maple wood flour, spruce wood flour, pine wood flour, fir woodflour, rice hull, peanut shells, recyclable wood waste, recyclablepaper, flax sheeve and combinations thereof.
 7. The composite shim ofclaim 1, wherein the body includes a thermoplastic component and afibrous component, the thermoplastic component ranges from about 30% toabout 70% by weight of the composite shim and the fibrous componentranges from about 30% to about 70% by weight of the composite shim. 8.The composite shim of claim 1, wherein the body is formed of a componentselected from the group consisting of a binder, a coloring agent, ascent agent, an ultraviolet light stabilizer, a filler, a naturalfiller, a heat stabilizer, an antioxidant, a foaming agent, a fungicideand combinations thereof.
 9. The composite shim of claim 1, wherein theplurality of discrete cavities are positioned in rows across the widthof the body and two or more of the rows include three discrete cavities.10. The composite shim of claim 1, wherein the length of the body doesnot exceed about twelve inches and the width does not exceed about 1.5inches.
 11. The composite shim of claim 1, wherein the plurality ofdiscrete cavities are tapered.
 12. The composite shim of claim 1,wherein the body includes a first side and a second side opposite thefirst side, wherein the plurality of discrete cavities extend from thefirst side through a portion of the body to a distance from the secondside that is approximately 0.06 inches.
 13. The composite shim of claim12, wherein the depth of the body at the first end is approximately0.035 inches and the depth of the body at the second and isapproximately 0.280 inches.
 14. The composite shim of claim 1, whereineach of the plurality of discrete cavities are tapered at an angle ofabout eight degrees.
 15. The composite shim of claim 1, wherein theplurality of discrete cavities are spaced apart from one another alongthe length of the body by approximately 0.456 inches.
 16. The compositeshim of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of discrete cavities iscylindrical and has a diameter of approximately 0.32 inches.
 17. Thecomposite shim of claim 1, wherein the body includes a first side and asecond side opposite the first side defining the depth of the body, eachof the plurality of cavities extending from the first side through aportion of the body to a cavity depth that is less than 80% of the depthof the body.
 18. The composite shim of claim 17, wherein the cavitydepth for each of the plurality of discrete cavities is greater than 66%of the depth of the body.